Five Reasons Running May Not Help You Lose Weight

That’s the first thing I heard when I picked up the phone. Sounding frustrated and hopeless on the other end of the line, my client Sarah continued.

“If you knew how hard I’ve been working, you’d understand. You’d know I wasn’t making excuses.”

Sarah first contacted me after a friend of hers had successfully lost weight through my online coaching program, just six months after having a baby. I asked her to keep an open mind and walk me through everything she’d been doing in terms of diet and exercise. The problem was immediately clear: Sarah was putting effort into her weight loss, but the type of effort — specifically her over-reliance on running — wasn’t the best way to lose fat and get the results she wanted.

Once Sarah understood why her approach to cardio was holding her back, we adjusted her plan and the pounds starting coming off again (seven pounds in one month, to be exact.) So to make sure your cardio training isn’t the reason your jeans don’t fit better (despite spending plenty of time in the gym), here are five common mistakes, plus simple solutions to get back on track.